Sinning to Love
by Cap'n Lazy Pantz
Summary: After leaving an unfaithful Sho, Kyoko finds herself in debt to handsome bad-boy, Hizuri Kuon. Lori learns of their past & creates a plot for romance. As she spirals from heartbreak, Kyoko gives into the temptation of sin. Will her fairy prince be her salvation? Or will she dance in debauchery for good? WARNING: limes/lemons, explicit language, violence. AU/OOC.
1. Chapter 1: Loss

**This is a re-write of Sho's Salvation, just an FYI. So if you've read that story, you'll know why the first few chapters are so familiar! But I want to make it clear that this will not be the same story as Sho's Salvation. It will take a different path. :-)**

** I don't own a goddamn thang.**

* * *

**Chapter 01: Loss**

"I love you Kyoko! Please, don't do this!" Sho pleaded as he stepped in front of her. Kyoko raised her head and looked into his eyes. Sho's heart cracked at the sight of glistening tears eclipsed in honey orbs. His heart lurched and his veins tightened. "Kyoko…" he whispered, reaching out to touch her. When she flinched away from him, the crack deepened.

"Don't touch me Sho," she replied, voice dripping with cold bitterness. "Just, get the hell out of my way." Shoving him aside, Kyoko stepped passed him using every ounce of strength she had to keep her tears from escaping their ducts.

The singer could feel his pulse racing inside of him. It served as a continuous reminder that he was quickly losing time, losing whatever chance he had at salvaging his relationship. Subconsciously he grabbed the fabric covering his chest as the ache of the inevitable loss sunk further. Closing his eyes, he tried to take a deep breath, but air caught in lungs as images of Kyoko's lovely laughing face engulfed his vision. Sho remembered the gentle way she would smile when he was feeling his worst, the way it would warm him from the inside out, melting his woes away. Never again would he witness such affection…

_I can't lose you…_ his mind screamed. _I love you so much Kyoko. I know that what I did is inexcusable but… No!_ "No!" Sho shouted as he hastily turned about. Closing the gap between them with one step, he quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. "No, I can't let you leave."

"Let me go!" Kyoko demanded, twisting her arm in vain attempts at freedom. She refused to meet his eyes again for fear of crying before him, a luxury she refused to warrant him. "Please—"

"No," the idol repeated sternly. "I refuse to let you go."

"Dammit Shotaro!" Kyoko screamed loudly with tightly shut lids. Slamming her free hand against his chest, she shoved and shoved but to no success. When he grasped that hand as well, she finally broke and opened her eyes to his face. His cheeks were flushed, eyes dark and bathing in a pool of liquid. Kyoko blinked a couple of times and then bowed her head. She noticed the way the cotton shirt clung to his sweat kissed body. Her veins burned as reminiscence of his arms around her danced across the black canvas of her visage.

"Kyoko," he whispered gently. "Please, don't leave me. I'll do anything."

"I—" Kyoko began but was instantaneously silenced when he dropped to his knees before her. He looked up with the most painful expression she had ever seen upon his handsome complexion. As if by sheer force of will, a single sparkling drop of moisture fled her dampened lashes and rolled down rosy tinted cheek.

"I know that what I did is unforgivable, but you must see how much I love you." His voice was hoarse and weak with desolation. Fingers tightened around delicate wrists as Sho pulled her to the floor with him. He cupped her warm face with his clammy palm, thumb brushing loose auburn strands aside. "Please. I'm begging you with everything that I have, don't leave me."

Kyoko closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She touched her forehead to his. "Sho…" she whispered shakily. When he released her hands, she intuitively placed them upon his shoulders and sniffled. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her closer and Kyoko thought that her heart would implode. He pulled her against him and then moved his head to the crook of her neck, gently grazing her skin with his lips. Her long nails gripped the t-shirt as her pulse quickened. "I… can't…" she said, fighting the desire looming in her body. "This won't work," she continued, biting her lower lip to keep it from quivering. "I'm sorry Sho, but I can't. We're through." His arms tightened around her, refusing to let her go. Kyoko released his shirt and then reached down grabbing his wrists. "Let me go."

"No…" she pulled free of him and slowly stood up. Sho quickly wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her to him, pressing his face into her stomach. He cried as he shattered. "I love you so damn much! Please… please don't do this to me!" His muffled voice reverberated through her making her shiver. "I know that what I did was fucked up, but please. I was young and stupid. Don't you see how much I need you, Kyoko?"

Wrapping her arms around his neck she held him for a moment longer than she wanted, tears rolling uncontrollably down her face. "Sho, you have to let me go." Fighting the urge to kiss his head, she carefully disentangled herself from him and stepped back.

"I've caused you so much pain…" he mumbled. "I never wanted to see such agony on such an angelic face." Raising his head, he saw her walking towards the door of their large Tokyo apartment. "I never… I took you for granted and now I'm going to lose you forever, aren't I?" He watched as she fetched her dark brown leather boots from the coat closet to the right of the door. She slipped into them and then grabbed a matching dark brown sweater._ No,_ he thought desperately. _I have to make her see, make her feel how much I want her, need her._ Sho stood up and walked over to the actress as she grabbed her keys off the small table to the left.

Kyoko turned to him as he approached her, eyes widening. "Sho—"

Sho cupped her face and delicately caressed the curves of her cheek and jaw. He admired her beauty as she closed her eyes tightly and turned her head towards his palm, almost relishing the feeling of his affectionate touch. Hot liquid rolled down onto his hand and his heart skipped again. Her sorrow dampened his flesh with the realization of how stupid he had been to hurt her in such a way—a woman who had stood by him through everything that life brought his way.

"Sho—" Kyoko began but was quickly silenced.

He led her back the last two steps and held her against the door as his lips sought hers. The kiss was filled wholly with his desperation and love for her. It was firm and passionate, yet gentle and inviting. Her hand snaked around his neck as she reciprocated. As it deepened ardently, Kyoko found herself contemplating her decision to leave. How could she separate herself from a man that still gave her giddy butterflies? How could she walk away from a man she had devoted her whole life to with utmost love and admiration?

Just when she was about to cave in and give him the yet another chance that he had begged for, she remembered the humiliation that his betrayal left her with. If he was able to cheat her so many years with such a natural presence, how did she know that he wasn't simply fucking with her now? This could all be an act, a damn good one to boot. What was Fuwa Sho without Kyoko?

Tears left burning streaks across her face as she forced her face to turn from him. Feeling his forehead resting against her, Kyoko exhaled greatly. She pressed her hands to him and shoved with all of her might. When she turned to him, the dejection was evident in the stare he gave her. "Don't fucking touch me!" She screamed. "Do you really think you can change the past, change what you have done with one goddamned kiss?" Her heart thrashed as her adrenaline pushed her yelling into violent shouts. Hands curled into balls at her sides as her heartbroken eyes bore into him.

Sho wanted to shout back, to protest but alas he couldn't fight the truth laid before him. How could he argue with her when the pain she felt was reasonably warranted?

"You have never felt for me as I have for you," Kyoko continued half-shouting, half-sobbing. "I was such a damned fool to think I could ever win your affections completely, Sho. I'm not a masochist. I don't enjoy living in this wretched agony that you've bestowed on me. I am _done_ giving you the benefit of the doubt. I'm sorry, but I refuse to be your stepping stone to success. I'm walking out of that door and I'm never coming back. From this day forth, we are nothing more than past acquaintances." She turned to the same small table and then grabbed her cell phone, refusing to look at him again.

Fuwa Sho fell to his knees upon the bamboo hardwood floor and brought his hands together before her. "I am _begging_ you not to do this." He pleaded. "Please Kyoko!"

Closing her eyes, she breathed slowly to calm the tornado of feelings. Turning to the door, Kyoko reached for the handle, but stopped when a sparkle flickered across her eyes. Retracting the hand, she spun on her heels and walked up to him. Eyeing the small silver band upon her left ring finger, she slowly slid if off and offered it to him. "I won't be needing this anymore."

Sho shook his head vigorously. "Hell no. I'm not taking it back!" In the end he lost when she grabbed his hand and forcefully placed it into his palm. Closing his fingers around it, he could still feel the warmth of her skin emanating from the metal. Raising his eyes to hers, Sho swallowed. "I'll… never learn to live without you. I won't give up on you."

Kyoko left him on his knees on the floor and strode towards the door before she gave in and ran into his arms. She grabbed the knob very tightly as a stream of tears fled her face. Then lifting her head high, she walked out of the apartment and out of Fuwa Sho's life.

Shoulders slumping, he stared at the diamond and platinum ring in his hand. Sho shook his head, denying the validity of what just occurred. When he formed a fist over the wedding band, he pounded the floor with all the strength he had, forming a small crack in the wood. He crumbled down, pressing his head to the cold wood and cried with unfathomable amounts of guilt realizing that he had finally lost his wife for good.

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**Author's Note: This entire story is dedicated to the original author, . I hope that she recovers and heals soon as I miss her writing very much. For fans of Sho's Salvation, I hope I can live up to her work. Also, just in case if you are wondering, I do have her permission to write this story in her stead. To be perfectly frank, she asked me to help her with this. Please don't worry. I'm not a stranger to her. She is my cousin and I'd do anything for her. So for anyone thinking that I'm "copying" her work, I am not doing that at all. I'm simply doing a favor for my cousin. Also, by request of the original author, this version will take a DIFFERENT path in the ensuing chapters. If you have questions, comments, or concerns do not hesitate to contact me. L8R.**


	2. Chapter 2: Faltering

**Chapter 02: Faltering**

Kyoko walked to the edge of the curb, holding her sweater tightly around her small form. Her grasp grew stronger, until her knuckles started changing colors. Closing her eyes, she tried to take deep breathes to calm her nerves. Her lids ached as the dam of tears threatened release once more. Kyoko could feel a powerful shriek working its way up her throat but she held her breath and tried to force herself to calm down. After a few moments of suffocation, she exhaled coughing. Ragged spurts of air trickled into her lungs making her chest burn. Opening her eyes, she slowly turned towards the towering glass building which had been her sanctuary for the past five years.

Her first day here was the night that she had married Sho. She still remembered how anxious she had felt about their wedding night—the nervous butterflies and the exhilaration of lying with the man she had loved for so long. Sho had unlocked the door. Then he swept her off her feet insisting on carrying her over the threshold. As he carried her in, the atmosphere took her breath away. There were white candles everywhere, along with large bouquets of red roses. White and red petals decorated the barren hardwood floors. It was such a magical evening.

The painful memory of their first time together seared across her heart like fiery coal. _Was that all a lie as well, Shotaro?_ "Why," she whispered. "Why did you have to do this to me?" Large teardrops began to run down her face, warming her cold skin. "I wish I never married you… "

Feeling a flourish of emotions starting to overwhelm her again, Kyoko broke into a run. She ran as hard and as fast she could, without a care as to her destination so long as it carried her far away from this hell that would haunt her nights to come. The world around her quickly became a blur of lights and blobs of people as her eyes flooded relentlessly. Kyoko tried to concentrate on the people, but eventually they all merged into one mutated form. Roughly shoving shoulders with a passing man, she could hear him shouting and cursing at her fleeing back. Many more similar curses chased her down the streets until her lungs burned with agony.

When she finally slowed down and eventually came to a complete halt, she hunched forward gasping for air. Her heart started to slow its pace and she forced herself to stand up straight. Seeing bright lights out of the corner of her eyes, she turned towards the source and noticed that her destination ended up being her home away from home—LME. Sighing with relief, she walked through the double doors and leaned against them after they closed behind her. The warmth inside was a welcome comfort against the harsh winter night. Pressing her head back against the glass, Kyoko closed her eyes and felt every last bit of energy instantly leave her. Her knees shook and she crumbled to the floor. Sitting there with parted lips, breathing softly Kyoko pictured Sho's teary-eyed plead for her to stay with him. An ink of guilt started to cloud her judgment as her lids became very heavy. She tried to open her eyes again but they held tightly glued as one. Eventually she began to tilt to the side until she was horizontal. The burdens of her evening started to lift as the welcoming darkness absorbed her consciousness.

* * *

As the elevator chimed, a man with long tasseled brown hair stepped off, yawning graciously. Clad in simple blue jeans, a black cotton t-shirt and matching chucks, he looked down at the script in his hands. He flipped through a couple of scenes and smirked at the dark humor in the lines. After another minute, he flipped it shut and then looked up. His green eyes broadened as his heart skipped. Stopping in his tracks, he slipped his bag off his shoulder. "Kyoko?" He said quietly. Tossing the script atop the bag, he jogged over to her and knelt beside her. "Kyoko," he said louder, placing his hand upon her shoulder. Shaking her lightly, he saw her scrunch her eyes with discomfort. He gently pulled the actress into his arms and fingered her hair from her face. Her cheeks were moist and icy to the touch. "Kyoko, can you hear me?" He continued shaking her again. The only response he received this time was a soft moan. "Kyoko!"

"No… Sho…," Kyoko whispered trying to shove away from the man. "Let me go…" She shakily lifted her hand to his shoulders and shoved again. But the effort required too much energy and suddenly she fell limp and unresponsive.

"Okay babe, hold on." He answered kindly. Slipping his free hand behind her knees, the actor heaved her off the floor. He gently tilted her head onto his shoulder and then turned around, heading back to the elevators, which chimed again releasing another figure.

"What are you still doing here?" The younger man said. He had black hair and hazel eyes dressed in a similar casual fashion. "Whoa, who is she?" he asked stepping up beside the duo.

"Kino, I'm glad that you're here. Can you please grab my stuff and follow me?" He felt Kyoko stirring in his arms. Looking down he noticed that the furrow of her brows wrinkled further as if she was in severe agony. He then looked back to his comrade. "Come on, we should hurry."

Nodding, Kino quickly obliged and then followed his senior into the elevator. "Which floor Kijima-san?"

"President's," Kijima replied. Looking from the digital display to Kyoko's face he felt his heart lurch. "What happened to you?" he whispered softly, admiring the tear streaks and pale complexion.

Noticing the fascination, Kino also looked down at the actress. Suddenly his eyes widened. "Wait… Isn't she Kyoko? The country's biggest celebrity?" His voice was filled with disbelief and excitement. He looked up at Kijima and found him staring with warning-full eyes. "I'm sorry," he mumbled quickly. "You can trust me Kijima-san. It's just unusual to find her like this, no?"

"That's an understatement, my friend." Kijima replied thinking of what his girlfriend would when she found out. "I wonder why she's here in such a way."

"Do you know her well?"

Kijima looked into those hazel eyes and smiled sadly. "Yeah actually. She's my girlfriend's best friend."

* * *

Kanae slipped out of her robe and draped it along the edge of her bed. Wearing a light pink cotton nightie she slipped in between the sheets, turned off the light and then slid down drowning in fluffy pillows. As she closed her eyes contentedly, a loud ringing startled her. Cursing, she pushed herself back into a sitting position, grabbed her phone off the nightstand and looked to see who the nuisance could be. "Why are you calling me?" she mumbled, irritated. She slid her finger across the bottom and answered rudely. "What?"

"Finally you pick up," a desperate male voice snapped to her. Her eyes widened as she felt the urgency that filled his tone. "Is Kyoko with you?" Feeling confused by his question, Kanae felt a deep sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"No, why would she be?"

"We…" Sho began but couldn't find the right words as he held her ring in his hand. Sitting on the edge of his bed he leaned back and placed his head upon the satin pillows. "We had a fight and she left."

The sinking feeling started turning to an awkward feeling of dread. "She left?" Kanae glanced to the clock on her nightstand. Her heart clenched. "At this time of night? You let her leave? What's the matter with you?"

"Look, I don't need to be yelled at like a fucking child!" Sho shouted. "I just need to find my wife, okay?! Are you going to help me or not?"

Kanae was stunned by his attitude. He must be stressed to death with concern for her. Mentally cursing herself for being so insensitive, she sighed. "I'm on my way." Her reply was sharp. She quickly disconnected the call and slid out of her comfortable sanctuary.

"Mo, what the hell happened to you?" She muttered as she fumbled around her closet for clothes. Settling on jeans and navy blue tank top, the actress hastily changed. Fetching her tennis shoes from under the bed, she put them on and tied them tightly. Exiting the bedroom, she snatched her keys off the counter and coat from the barstool as she passed the kitchen and headed out of the lavish apartment.

Once she was safely in the elevators, her phone rang. Seeing that it was Kijima, she smiled and answered sweetly. "Hey handsome."

"I'm sorry to wake you beautiful."

She froze. His voice sounded as equally as anxious as Sho's. "This is about Kyoko isn't it?"

"How did you know? Did she leave you a message or something?"

Kanae sighed. "No. Fuwa called me a few minutes ago. Did you find her?"

Kijima remained silent as he pondered the inquiry. "You can say that she found us, actually. We're at LME. Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Kanae shook her head intuitively. "I wish I did, but I don't. The only thing that he told me was that they fought and she left. She's not hurt is she?"

"Honestly, I don't think she's physically hurt, but I can't be sure. She was unconscious when I found her. Takarada-san called over a private physician who just got here. When he's done taking a look we'll know for sure. You should probably find your way here. I bet she's going to need you."

"Done, I'm on my way now. Did you want to call Sho or should I?" The elevator doors opened on the ground floor. She stepped off and walked out of the apartment building heading east towards LME. When he didn't answer her, she felt her heart clench again. "Hide, tell me what's the matter?"

Again, he sighed. "I'm not sure, but I don't think it's a good idea for him to come down here. When I found her, she seemed like she wanted to get away from him."

Kanae didn't like the sound of this at all. "He's a mess babe."

"Then let me take care of him."

"As you wish. I'll be there soon."

"I love you. And be safe, please."

Kanae smiled. "I love you too. I promise I will."


	3. Chapter 3: Shattered

**Chapter 03: Shattered**

"Yes I know, I probably should have taken one, but I didn't expect it to rain… Yes, my love. I promise to call when I'm on my way." Kijima glanced to the display of ascending numbers as he waited impatiently in the elevator. When a satisfying chime rang and the doors opened, he quickly walked out and headed towards his best friend's apartment. "Look babe, I'm here now. I love you. Keep me posted on Kyoko." Ending the call, he slipped the phone into his back pants pocket. Raising his hand to ring the doorbell, he stopped midway noticing that the door was slightly ajar. Pushing it open with his fingertips he stepped into the large apartment and quietly closed the door behind him. The entire place was draped in darkness. All of the lights were off. An eerie veil eclipsed the apartment as the flickering shadows from the rain outside waltzed across the furnishings.

Kijima stepped into the living room and looked around. He noticed papers and empty beer bottles all over the coffee table and the couch cushions strewn along the floor. He then turned right and walked into the bedroom seeing that the door was wide open. The bed was messy and unmade. Seeing a broken picture frame on the floor to the right of the bed, he walked over and knelt beside it, carefully picking it up so as not to prick himself on the sharp pieces of glass atop it. It was a picture of Sho and Kyoko on their wedding day. Kyoko was shoving cake into Sho's face, getting icing all over his cheek. Smiling, he placed the frame back onto the floor and looked around.

"Where the hell are you dude?" he whispered to himself. Standing back up, Kijima turned towards the bathroom and pushed the door aside, also finding it empty and cold. As he walked back into the living, lightening from the storm outside basked the room with brief light. He turned towards the patio and saw the rain pouring from the sky rapidly. Walking towards the sliding glass door, his eyes went wide as he finally found what he sought. He slid the door open and stepped out into the freezing wet weather. "What the fuck are you doing?" he yelled into the wind as he knelt down beside the musician.

Sho was lying with his bare back pressed to the concrete floor, surrounded with cigarette buds and empty beer cans. His lids were shut, arms spread out on either side. A millions large drops of water rained down upon him. He was completely soaked. As he listened to the sounds of this angry weather all he could envision was Kyoko's saddened face, filled with smears of tears and puffy red eyes. He clenched his jaw as his own eyes began to weep guiltily.

"SHO!" Kijima yelled as he grabbed the other man's shoulder, shaking violently. "Goddammit Sho, talk to me!" Kijima looked up at the sky and then glanced down at himself with growing frustration. Shaking his head in defeat he tried to get the singer's attention once more. "SHO!" He scooted back as Sho sat up, bending his knees and then resting his arms upon them. When Sho turned his face to stare at him, emotionless expression appearing haunting amidst the night, Kijima felt stunned. The bloodshot eyes appeared hollow and desolate. "Let's go inside!"

"Did you find her?" The idol shouted over the wind.

"Yes!" Kijima nodded. "I'll tell you about it if you get your ass inside before you catch a cold!" Grabbing his friend's arm, the actor heaved him into a stance and practically dragged him back into the apartment. Sho instantly pushed away from Kijima and then stumbled over to the couch, collapsing on the dry clean cushions. After closing the door, he took off his wet shoes and shook the excess water from his hair. He then glared at the immobile moron. "Dude, what the fuck were you doing?"

"I wanted some fresh air," Sho replied distantly. "I didn't expect it to start raining so suddenly. It felt nice so I stayed put."

Kijima sat on the floor in front of Sho and draped his arms across his knees. "Look at me dude." When Sho turned his face to him with cheek pressed to damp couch, little beads of water rolled across his nose. Kijima couldn't tell if it the drops were remnants from the rain or stray tears. "Can you tell me what happened?"

The ensuing silence lasted almost ten minutes, killing the actor's patience. Nonetheless, he sat silently and waited. After what felt to be an eternity, Sho opened his mouth and spoke quietly. "She left me." Sliding his hands beside his face he pushed up, sitting back. He raked his wet hair from his eyes and licked his lips. "She actually fucking left."

"Why? Why did she leave?" Kijima inquired from his lower position. "Please tell me. I want to help you."

Sho chuckled. "That's the biggest bull I've heard all night. You can't help the guilty." His voice was bitter and his eyes were angry. "How is she anyway?" Aligning brown eyes to green gems, Sho pleaded silently for comforting words. "Please tell me that she is okay."

Sighing, Hidehito pushed off the floor and then sat on the coffee table. "I wish I could brother, but to be honest I have no idea is she's okay or not. I found her at LME and she was unconscious. She's with Takarada-san and Nae right now. The doctor arrived just as I stepped out."

Sho stood and strode for the kitchen, fetching another beer from the fridge. Cracking it open he downed it in three, four gulps. When he reached for another, he was blocked. Snapping his head up with great agitation, Sho scowled at his comrade.

"You've had enough of this shit." Kijima grabbed the singer's arm and pulled him aside and then closed the fridge.

"Who fucking cares how much I drink? It's not like I have a wife here to stop me!"

"I fucking care goddammit!" Kijima shouted with equal zest.

Tsking Sho walked to the glass sliding doors looking out at the world.

Sighing, the actor followed suit and then collapsed in the recliner, kicking his legs up onto the coffee table. "Will you tell me what the hell happened? Did you cheat on her?"

Sho snickered, placing his palms on the doors. He bowed his head and then gave a full laugh. The agony of her voice rang freshly in his ears. The image of her handing him her wedding ring and then her retreating back leaving the home they had built together—it was too much for him. Fingernails scraped along the smooth glass as he formed a fist. Sho slammed his fist against the surface once, twice.

A startled actor flinched at the assault. He sat up straighter, ready to run to Fuwa if the need arose. Instead he felt his heart ache for his pain. Sho's laughter slowly shifted to soft sobs. "Sho…"

"I'm such a mother fucking moron!" Fuwa shouted through clenched teeth. "I can't believe I fucked up so bad! What the hell was I thinking?" Falling to his knees, he touched his forehead against the cold door and closed his eyes tightly. "I did something so fucking stupid and now she's gone… SHE'S FUCKING GONE! GOD-FUCKING-DAMMIT!"

Arms crossed over his chest and feeling a helpless pain in his own chest, the only thing the green-eyes friend could do was watch from a distance. Completely oblivious to the reasoning behind the chaos, he simply listened.

"I never thought she would find out," Sho said quietly as he turned around and sat down with his back and head resting back. "I figured since things were different and we were happy, it would never come out this way. But it did and I couldn't explain myself to her. She just broke, into a million irreparable pieces and she left."

"Did you cheat on her?" Kijima asked. His anxiety and restlessness at being kept in the dark was starting to chomp away what little patience he had remaining. With the way he was acting given Kyoko's walking out, the actor found it very difficult to believe that Sho would be unfaithful, but there was no other logical explanation.

"I… " He contemplated the question and then finally sighed. "I did cheat on her, in a way… Yeah, you can say that I was unfaithful to her. I betrayed her trust like a fucking idiot.

Kijima hung his head and breathed deep as he prepared himself for this conversation that was to come. "Who was she?"

Sho chortled. "Who was she…?" He repeated. After a few more moments of silence, he continued. "She was a powerful woman. A strong woman who I didn't have the courage to deny. Whatever she wanted, I gave to her easily and willingly. Fucking tyrant. She was a double-edged sword. Not only did she help me realize how much I loved Kyoko, but she was also the one thing that could take her from me… And she did."

"When did this happen?" Kijima inquired further. He knew deep down that if Kanae found out of Sho's infidelity, she would beat his ass into oblivion, quite possibly even death.

"Who cares when it happened, the point is that it happened," Sho struggled to pull himself up. He walked over to Kijima and looked down at him. "Take me to her," he whispered.

Kijima stood and patted his friend on the shoulder. "I can't do that." He answered sadly.

"You don't understand, I have to see her Kijima. Please take me to my wife."

"I wish I could Sho. But Kyoko isn't awake yet and I'm afraid of what might happen if Kyoko saw you there. When I found her, she mistook me for you and tried to shove me away. She won't want to see you brother." Kijima gave the singer's shoulder a small squeeze. "I promise that as soon as I find out what's going on with her, I'll call you immediately."

"That's not fucking good enough!" Sho screamed shoving away Kijima's hand. He took a deep breath and continued in a gentler tone. "Look, I just don't want to lose her. She's my _life._"

"Why did you do it?" Kijima asked. As angry as he felt about Sho's infidelity, he couldn't help but feel bad for him. This pain was unbearable to watch, he couldn't possibly fathom how it must be to feel it. It was plainly obvious how much Sho loved his wife, but what if that just wasn't enough?

"I was young and naïve. I wanted everything and I didn't think it would mean much in the long run," Sho confessed openly.

"I'm—" Kijima began but was interrupted as Sho violently pushed him aside.

"NO!" He stood up and walked away from him. "I don't want your goddamned pity! I just want my wife back! First she leaves and now you're telling me I can't see her. Don't say you're sorry! If you're really sorry then just fucking take me to her!"

"Sho try to understand—"

"NO! I DON'T WANT TO UNDERSTAND!" Sho yelled into the apartment, voicing thundering over of the storm. "Just… just get out!"

"Sho, don't do that bro." Kijima replied daring to take a step closer to him. "You're being rash and dumb."

"Just get the fuck out of my place! LEAVE!" Sho walked into the bedroom and slammed the door closed, locking it behind him.

Kijima dropped to the coffee table where he sat, running his fingers through his hair. "Damn dude, I really wish I could help you." He pulled his phone from his pocket, scrolled to Kanae's name and started tapping away as he composed a text.

**On my way back now. No luck babe. I'm sorry.**

* * *

**Author's Note:  If anyone has any questions or concerns regarding the original author of this story (formerly known as Sho's Salvaton; author's ) please don't hesitate to send me a PM. I noticed in the reviews that a couple of you were concerned that I was stealing the story. I mentioned this earlier and I'll say it again. I was asked to do this re-write/completion. I promise I'm not copying or stealing anything. L8R.**


	4. Chapter 4: Friends

**Chapter 04: Friends**

Kyoko kicked her feet of the bed. Scooting towards the edge, her toes brushed the floor gently. Her small fingers grasped the edge of the mattress. A dull ache throbbed against her temples. Reaching up, she massaged her head before pushing off into a stance. Her knees felt weak as she took one wobbly step. Lifting her head, she looked around at her surroundings for anything familiar. Her eyes caught the framed picture of Maria with Takarada-san sitting on the nightstand to the right of the bed. A warm smile grazed her lips as she admired the cute photograph.

Suddenly Kyoko remembered that she might very well be at LME. The last thing she could recall was entering the large building and feeling like an emotional wreck. Turning from the photo she looked around a bit more and saw light spilling out from beneath the double doors. Her shaky feet began walking in that direction. Just her knees caved, her palms came out against the door, holding her upright. Her hand slid towards the knob but then froze when the familiar sounds of Kanae's voice rang through the wood. "Moko-san…" Kyoko whispered.

"_Fuck that bastard!"_ Kanae shouted angrily. Kyoko's eyes widened at the remark. Her throat quickly dried as her fingers shook a bit. Deep down the actress knew that she shouldn't do it, but simply couldn't find the urge. Placing her ear to the door, Kyoko listened quietly to the exchange on the other side.

* * *

"Fuck that bastard!" Kanae yelled pushing into a stance from the leather seat before the president's desk. Looking down at her boyfriend, who sat in the neighboring seat with his chin resting in his palm, she continued vehemently. "The nerve of that asshole, to cheat on her like that!" Her beautiful thick brows were furrowed with rage, a soft tint of color on her cheeks.

Sighing, the actor pulled himself up and then reached out, placing his hands softly on her shoulders. "Babe, please calm down. To be fair, we don't even know if he really cheated." She glared at him. "I know, I know. But there's just something about the way he said it… I don't think he screwed another woman." She shoved his hand away and stepped back, crossing her arms over her shoulder. Kijima sighed again. "Do you really think he cheated on her like that?"

Kanae tossed her arms in the air and then turned around, pacing the space between them. "What else am I supposed to think? I mean, what else could possibly have her so messed up?" Looking to him for an answer, she continued when he didn't have one. "She ran away and then collapsed, Hide. She fucking collapsed. That kind of emotional stress… There can't be any other logical explanations. Besides, at this point I just don't care."

Narrowing his eyes at her, Kijima didn't bother hiding his distaste at her reaction to the whole situation. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means I don't give a shit what his reasons are. He hurt her. All she did was love him!" Kanae stormed over to her beau and bore her eyes into his. "Come on, Hide. We've been together for almost two years now. Don't tell me that in all of this time you haven't seen that woman's devotion to him?"

"I have," he replied simply. Running his fingers through his hair, he sighed again and then stepped away from her. It was his turn to pace anxiously. "But Nae, I've also seen _his_ devotion to her as well. The man is absolutely fucking crazy about her. I honestly just refuse to believe that he could have fucked another woman behind her back! I'm telling you, there is a whole lot more to this than we realize."

She remained silent as she stared at the floor, deep in thought. _But he said that he betrayed her. What other betrayal could he possibly be talking about? Infidelity must be the answer, right? Or is that just too damn easy?_ "Goddammit," she mumbled with frustration.

"He was such a mess," the actor continued when she didn't speak. Vivid images of Sho's red eyes and the painful expression he held as he desperately asked to see Kyoko… "That man was _hurting_ at her loss." Kijima turned to Kanae. "I'm telling you, it's something else."

"That, my dear, is called guilt," the actress replied bitterly. When she looked at him, she found him staring at her with disbelief. Her gaze was filled with fury, unyielding as she gawked in return. "He hurts so badly because the man fucked up. He lost her because of some stupid bitch that he couldn't keep his hands off of. If I were him then I'd be a mess as well."

Kijima's lips fell open as he thought of a better defensive retort however the sounds of the bedroom door opening silenced him. Kanae immediately turned about and ran over to her comrade, while Kijima slowly followed.

"You guys are yelling so loudly," Kyoko said softly with teary eyes. "I'm sorry that you're fighting because of me…"

"Mo, it's not because of you," Kanae answered as she tightly hugged her friend. Noticing that she was shaky, the raven beauty started to help her friend to the seat before the desk, but was stopped when Kyoko grabbed her arm firmly.

"Actually Moko-san, can I speak to you?" Kyoko asked as she looked up and met Kanae's brown eyes. "Privately?"

"I'll go find Takarada-san," Kijima said kindly as he nodded to the former LoveMe number one.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Kanae asked as she sat cross-legged on the bed, in front of a shivering Kyoko, holding her hand tightly. "You look so pale," she added.

"I promise, I will be okay," Kyoko lied. She looked down at her hands, which were buried in Kanae's. "Thank you for being here," she added hoarsely.

"You never have to thank me for something like that." Kanae reached up and brushed a few strands of Kyoko's auburn hair from her face. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I… I left him," Kyoko stammered as tears fled her eyes. "I don't ever want to go back." Her voice broke into a cry. Kanae immediately released the hostage hands and wrapped her arms around Kyoko's shoulders firmly. Kyoko automatically reciprocated the embrace and held on for dear life. "I have never felt like a bigger moron," she yelled into Kanae's chest, sobbing.

"Sh, it's okay." Kanae lovingly rubbed her hands up and down her best friend's back trying to cajole the young woman. "I've got you, love." Feeling Kyoko's hands drop, Kanae released her. Kyoko reached up and wiped the wetness from her face with the back of her hand, sniffling. She brought her puffy red eyes up to meet the other woman's.

"I have loved him from the bottom of my heart. I can still remember the day he told me he loved me, the way he held me, and then asked me to marry to him. The beautiful spring morning when we exchanged vows on the beach, everything. I remember it all so clearly and now to find out that it was nothing more than a goddamned lie!" Kyoko entwined her fingers and sunk her nails into the back of her hands, drawing blood. "I gave Shotaro my life and soul and…" her voice broke off as more tears came rushing down her face. Scrunching her eyes shut, she tried with great desperation to erase all of those happy memories from her mind. "He never loved me, Moko-san. I never meant anything to him. I was nothing more than a pawn on his ladder to success."

"Oh Kyoko," Kanae whispered, feeling a strong pang of helplessness overwhelming her. Kyoko was such a sweet and innocent woman, always giving and caring for others. To see her in such agony, such undeserved severe melancholy was even too much for this seasoned actress to take. As Kyoko scooted back and then laid down, she placed her head in her friend's lap. Kanae did the only thing she could and stroke the short auburn strands as she spoke.

"It hurts so much!" she screamed from her core. "God, it hurts so damn much! Why, Sho? Why did you do this to me when all I did was love you?!" Kyoko balled her hands into fists and pressed them beneath her chin as she curled into a fetal position.

* * *

Kijima grabbed the president's hand as he started walking towards the double doors. When he stopped and looked over at the younger man angrily, Kijima smiled sadly. As soon as the girls had walked into the office, both men heard Kyoko's heart wrenching screams of anguish. Lory, unable to bear her suffering, immediately started to move in her direction. But after spending two years with his dear Kanae and her Kyoko, Kijima had learned quite a few things.

"She needs her best friend," Kijima said kindly. "If you go in there, you'll only make things worse for her. Give her time, sir." He saw the caged tears in the elder man's dark brown eyes when he nodded. Lory then cleared his throat and walked over to his desk. Kijima followed and sat down in the chair before the desk.

"I still remember when she came here all of those years ago," Lory said quietly. "She was so young and full of life. She had a determination that I had not seen in many, many years. Not to mention her severe lack of experience." He chuckled as he recalled her sweet smiling face and refusal to fail. "I see her like this now and it all feels so wrong somehow. Such an unhappy expression does not suite her."

"Were you there when she met Sho?" Kijima asked, seeing the same helplessness in his eyes that he himself had felt.

"They were already married when she came to me," Lory replied. "I had met him not too long after I met her and they both looked to be very much in love. I honestly believed it was a fairy tale love—just from the genuine happiness they shared. I must confess that it made me realize how lonely I was." Lory reached up and wiped away the silent tears from his eyes before continuing. "I can't fathom what he must have done, not only to cause her this misery, but for her to actually leave him entirely… It's unbelievable."

"I asked him," Kijima admitted quietly. "I wish I didn't." He saw the pleading depth of the president's eyes and sighed heavily. "I had asked him if he cheated on her. All he told me was that I could say he betrayed her. He even told me a little bit about the woman."

"Why do you sound unconvinced?" Lory asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I don't know sir," Kijima shook his head. "I think I just feel this way because he has grown to become my best friend, a brother. A part of me wants to give him the benefit even if he did confess." Kijima stood up and walked away from the chair, pacing the room. "Maybe I'm no better than him." He mumbled.

"No, son," Lory said warmheartedly. "It just means that you have a fine heart, and there is nothing wrong with that."

"Thank you sir," Kijima replied. Feeling a buzz in his pocket, he stopped pacing and then fetched the device. Seeing the name he answered, assuming it was work related. "Hi Kino…Yes, he is. Just a moment." The actor walked up to the extravagant wooden desk and handed the phone to Lory.

"Good evening Kino-kun… Yes, thank you for picking him up…" Lory chuckled as he listened intently to the teenager's rambling about the guest's horrible cursing. "Yes, well he is American and unaccustomed to our ways… yes, of course. Please tell him I will be home shortly… Thank you, oyasumi." Lory pulled the phone from his ear, tapped the red button and handed it back over to Kijima.

"Is everything okay?" The actor asked anxiously, returning the phone to his back pocket.

"Yes, of course," Lory replied with an amused expression. "Kino has successfully picked up my friend's son from the airport."

"The American who'll be starring in the new film with Kyoko?" Kijima sat back down. "The son of the famous dude?"

Lory laughed. "I see you're so well-informed," he replied sarcastically. "He is actually a very famous actor over in the West. He has made a name for himself, separate from his father's. Most would even say that he has surpassed his father, even."

"Sir," Kijima whispered as sadness took his expression again. "What's going to happen to the filming now…with this?"

Lori sighed. He knew the cold, hard truth but also acknowledged that not everyone would like it or accept it. "Believe it or not, break-ups are normal in this industry. Unfortunately, Kyoko won't get much time to recover. The filming will began in about a month or so. She will need to be ready by then."

"Do you really think they're finished?" Kijima asked.

Lori saw the desperation in his eyes and his heart wilted—for this young man, and the two beautiful woman in the other room and also for the damaged drunken man who was now painfully aware of the unfriendly comrade known as loneliness. "For their sake, I hope not."

* * *

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kino said as he rushed after the tall blonde man skipping down the exquisite staircase at Takarada Mansion. The steps were beautifully lined with a plush red carpet.

"I can't just stay locked up in this place. It's suffocating me," he glanced over his shoulder to the teenager and smiled charmingly. "After being stuck on that plane, playing house arrest is where I draw the line. If Boss gets home before I do, feel free to lay the blame on me entirely. I can handle him." He skipped over the last step and then walked up to the coat rack next to the door. Grabbing the long black Calvin Klein wool coat, he slipped into it and then grabbed the handle for the door. Pushing down on the release button, he opened it widely, letting a freezing gush of wind invade the warm home.

"But sir, I was given strict directions not to let you out of my sight," Kino jogged over to the coat rack and grabbed his own jacket. "Takarada-san will be very angry."

The American turned around and sighed, blatantly annoyed. "Look," he said bitterly as he grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket. He pulled out a handful of large bills and handed it to the assistant. "Take this for your trouble. It's not my first time in Japan, especially Tokyo. I will be fine. Like I said, when I get back, I'll handle the big man. I won't let you get in trouble for me." He then stepped out into the icy weather, slamming the large door shut behind him.

"I'm so fucking fired," Kino mumbled, bowing his head in complete defeat. He hung his coat back up, pulled his phone out of his pocket and then created a new text message.


	5. Chapter 5: Hate

**chapter 05: Hate**

Kijima gripped the phone as he rested his back against the elevator's wall. "Look, I am only doing this because you're a brother to me. If Nae finds out, I'll be doomed as it is. Don't make me regret it."

"I understand," Sho answered anxiously. "I promise, Hide."

"She's still here," Kijima continued, raking his hair back. He sighed and closed his eyes. "She's with the president and Nae in his office. If you show up, I doubt he'd go out of his way to stop you. Your biggest obstacle will be Nae. I think she's out for your blood, brother."

Sho gulped. "I got it. Thank you, Kijima." The sounds of clinging keys rang in the background. "I owe you so much dude."

"Just answer one question for me. Don't bullshit me either, I want the truth. Do you understand?"

"Okay…" The singer's voice faltered.

"Did you cheat on Kyoko? And don't give me any of that cryptic shit. Just tell me straight up, did you have sex with another woman behind her back?"

The silence crept on for a couple minutes too long. The actor had resigned himself to prepare for the worst, but then Sho's raspy voice broke the quiet void. "I'd never do that to her." He then disconnected the line, leaving the actor with a wash of relief.

* * *

"No, I will never go back to him!" Kyoko screamed as she paced the length of the room. "After what he did, I refuse to forgive him. I gave him everything! All those years at the ryokan and then when we came here to Tokyo…" Kyoko closed her eyes and clutched at the fabric covering her chest. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook her head. Opening her eyes, she turned around to face the duo sitting on the bed, staring at her with worried expressions. "I'll die, but I'll never go back to him."

"I can't believe that asshole cheated on you," Kanae said gritting her teeth. "I hope I never see his face… for his sake."

She looked to her right and saw Lory staring at her, his unconvinced contemplation clear in his eyes. He recalled Kijima's disbelief at the notion of Sho being unfaithful in such a way.

"I wish he cheated on me," Kyoko said with a quieter voice. "It would be easier to forgive."

"What?" Both parties said together, as they both turned their heads to her.

"What do you mean, Kyoko-kun?" Lory spoke first.

Sighing, she turned from them and walked a few steps. A small tightly formed fist rose into the air and slammed against the wall forcefully. "It would have been easier if he screwed some woman. But no… What he did was far worse…"

"You're not making any sense. If he wasn't unfaithful then what did he do?"

Kyoko quickly spun about, eyes wide with rage. "I never said he wasn't unfaithful! He…" Unable to find the words to describe her pain, she shook her head. Emotions throbbed in every corner of her body making her fall to her knees. "He never loved me…" Her eyes stared off at some irrelevant spot on the floor before her. "Our marriage was nothing more than a lie. He used me so he could become the industry's most successful celebrity."

Kanae stood up and walked over to her. Kneeling in front her, she spoke slowly. "Kyoko, I don't understand." Reaching out she grabbed the younger actress's hand and gasped. "Mo, you're so cold." Gently she took the icy hands and rubbed them. "Tell me what's going on. I want to understand."

"I… I can't" Kyoko mumbled through sobs. "I can't believe that I was so stupid." Feeling her energy waning once again, she dropped her head against her chest and began to fall to the side. Kanae quickly wrapped her up in a hug and lightly stroked her hair. "Moko-san…"

"Shh, it's okay. I've got you. Everything will be okay. I promise." Former LoveMe number two bit back her own stewing tears as she comforted her best friend. "You never have to go back to him ever again. Okay? I want you to come stay with me."

Pulling from her, the actress shook her head vigorously. "No. I can't do that to you. I won't intrude on you and Kijima-san like that." Wiping her face with her fingertips, she forced herself to sit up straight. "I will be okay. I have plenty of money to find my own place."

"It's not up for discussion Kyoko," Kanae said authoritatively. "You will come stay with me, even if it's just for a little while. I don't want you to be alone like this."

"Moko-san, you're such a great friend," Kyoko managed to say before bursting with more tears. Kyoko opened her mouth to speak again, but her voice was cut off at the sound of the president's cell phone. Both girls looked over at him and saw him smile apologetically as he fetched the device and answered the call.

"Yes Sebastian… I see… No, I don't believe that is a good idea right now… I see… Yes, of course. I suppose we don't at this point… Of course, let him in." Lory tapped on the device and placed it next to him on the bed. He looked over and met Kyoko's questioning stare.

"You've got to be kidding me," Kyoko said, as she broke from Kanae. Reading the elder's face like an open book, she stood up with balled fists at her sides. "Takarada-san, I can't. I won't."

"Kyoko, he's your husband. He sounded very worried—"

"He has no goddamned right to be worried about me!" Kyoko yelled, her voice thundering around them. "After all, it's not like our vows meant—" But her voice was interrupted when the door swung open. She looked over at her husband and felt her face heat with rage. "Shotaro…"

Kanae stood up and took her place in front of Kyoko, matching her infuriating gaze. She looked over and saw Lory's pleading eyes but she just couldn't let it go. Kanae followed Lory with her eyes as he stood, walked over to Sho and lightly patted him on the shoulder. The two men exchanged unspoken words. Then he disappeared into his office. When Sho started to move towards them, she took a step towards him, jaw clenched tightly. As he came up to her and opened his mouth to speak, she used every bit of strength she had and slapped him. "Who the hell do you think you are?" She yelled into his face. "First you break her heart and then you crawl back? I thought you were told to stay the hell away?"

He slowly turned his face back to meet hers, matching her angry eyes. "I don't give a shit what you think about me, Kanae. I'm here for my wife, so get the hell out of my face."

"STOP IT!" Kyoko screamed from behind them, hands held up to her temples. "Both of you, just stop." They both turned to stare at her. Sighing, Kyoko closed her eyes and braced herself. "It's okay Moko-san," she looked up at her shield and smiled affectionately. "Go ahead and just give us a moment."

Kanae glanced over her shoulder and spoke in a quieter tone. "I'm right outside, Mo. Holler if you need me." Then she turned back to Sho and angrily shoved his shoulder with her own as she strode past him and out of the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"Sir, with all due respect, how could you call him?" Kanae said feeling furious. She crossed her arms over chest and began impatiently pacing the office.

"I am sorry to disappoint you Kanae-kun, but I did not call him," Lory replied, tapping his fingertips together, elbows resting on the leather armrests of his large chair.

"I did," Kijima answered as he stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. He walked up to his girlfriend and looked deeply into her very shocked eyes. "I know, you're pissed. But I had to."

"No, you didn't!" She yelled.

"You weren't there," Kijima crossed his arms and challenged the tone of her voice. "You didn't see how fucked up he was. Kanae, a man who looks like that is incapable of being unfaithful. I know he must have screwed up somehow, but dammit, I refuse to believe that he actually cheated on that woman in there!" He pointed towards the door, chest rising and falling as his breathing became heavier with his anger. "You can hate him if you want. If I were you and if I saw Kyoko in that state, I'd want to kill him too. But think about it for one second, babe. Think about what he must be going through. He is completely alone! Kyoko isn't the only one hurting. So yes, I called him. He desperately needed to see her." Kijima took Kanae's hands in his and brought them to his lips where he kissed them softly. "I love you Kanae. I know you can't trust him, but at least trust me."

Tears rolled down Kanae's face. "I have never seen her like this," she whispered as she leaned into Kijima, resting her forehead on his shoulder. He released her hands and wrapped his around her waist, holding her close. He gently kissed her head. "I feel like she's going to break at any point and then we'll lose her forever."

"I know, babe. Believe me, I know." Kijima gently rubbed Kanae's back and closed his eyes, praying and hoping that his calling Sho wouldn't bite him in the ass later.

Lory watched the couple and felt his heart strings being tugged. He closed his eyes and thought about his beautiful wife. He remembered meeting her when he was young and how fun life had been with her. He pondered as to what advice she would offer the hurting couple if she were alive today.

* * *

"Don't touch me!" Kyoko shrieked as she shoved her husband away from her. She took a few steps back and collided with the wall. "Why are you here Sho? Why can't you just let me go and leave me in peace?" Her words came out in faint whimpers as her emotions overwhelmed her.

"Kyoko, please don't do this. Please, just let me explain!" Sho pleaded. He took a couple steps closer to her and felt his legs give out from beneath him. A torturous desperation spread over him. On his knees before the kindest woman he had ever met, he put his hands together and begged. "I am madly in love with you! Why don't you see that? I am here, on my knees, begging for you to come back to me! How can you look me in the eyes and still believe that I have never loved you?" She shook her head with distaste. "Please, Kyoko. I am pleading for you to hear me out."

"I can't do this, Sho." Kyoko took her eyes off of him and tried to walk around, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist forcefully. She yanked her arm with such force that she fell back. Sho hastily slipped his other arm around her waist and broke her fall. As he towered above her, his tears dripped onto her cheeks and lips. "Let me go," she whispered as she looked into his guilt-ridden gaze.

"Never. I will never let you go. Don't you see what a horrible mess I am without you?" Lowering himself, he kissed her forehead gently. "I know I screwed up, but please let me explain. I swear to you, Kyoko, I love you. Please just believe in that if nothing else."

"How can you say that? How am I supposed to believe you when this whole relationship has been nothing but a sham?" Kyoko tried to hate him. She tried very hard to despise him. But as he looked down upon her with eyes soaked of agony, her heart melted. Intuitively, she reached up and started to wipe his tears away with her fingertips. "Did you even love me when we got married?"

Sho brushed his lips across her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. "Don't do this," he whispered into her flesh. "Please Kyoko."

"Answer me Shotaro." She demanded. "Were you in love with me on our wedding day or not?"

Sho pulled away from his wife and sat down beside he. With his head bowed, he realized that this was the end. There was no way that she would ever listen to him now. All hope of him getting her back was about to vanish. But what was he to do? Lie to her, again? He couldn't do that to her, not anymore. When he looked back over at her, he saw her spot empty. She had sat up and crawled away from him.

"ANSWER ME!" She yelled as she pushed herself into a standing position. "Honestly, did you love me at all?"

Sho shook his head deliberately. "I…didn't."

Even though she knew the truth, hearing him say it aloud was an entirely different experience. Suddenly, Kyoko began snickering. His eyes fell on her with mounting concern as she stood up. "Thank you," she uttered with a determined smile. Turning her back to him, she walked towards the door.

Sho's mouth ran dry with astonishment to her reaction. He watched her retreating back until she stopped and faced him again. He sat up straighter as a dark aura began to wash over him. Looking into those golden eyes, he could almost _feel_ the finality of their relationship. "Kyoko...?"

"You know, I had never dreamt that I would be saying this to you one day. But… Fuwa Sho, I hate you."

His heart lurched. "No, you can't possibly mean that?!" Standing up, he rushed to her.

"NO! DON'T!" She screamed, halting him. "Don't you dare come near me! Just stay the hell away from me!" She shrieked from the very pit of her stomach. "I hate you! Do you understand that? I HATE YOU FUWA SHO!" Kyoko turned around, opened the door and ran into the office. She saw her friends all stand up and stare at her. Stopping, she looked at them and gulped the lump forming in her throat. Hearing him run out behind her, Kyoko suddenly felt extremely trapped and anxious. Forcing her head up, she looked into Kanae's eyes and then Kijima's eyes. "I need some air. Please, just let me be and don't follow me!" The actress then began to walk towards the exiting doors very quickly. "Please, just leave me the hell alone!"

* * *

"_Damn, I forgot how fucking cold it gets here,"_ The American mumbled in English as he rubbed his hands together, breathing into them. _"Maybe I should have stayed inside."_ He chuckled at the notion of an angry Lory. That was an image to hold, even though he had only seen the president of LME angry once in his 25 years of life. As he walked through the dwindling crowds, he noticed bright lights on the building that was coming up. Stopping, he looked up and followed the height of the building. A victorious smirk found his lips. _"LME, I've finally found you. Now I can get my keys and finally get some fucking rest." _

As he started walking towards the building, a short woman with auburn hair darted out of the double glass doors, causing him to stall. She ran out towards the curb, breathing heavily. The foreigner narrowed his eyes as he observed her curiously. There was an atmosphere about her so dark that it gave him chills, even though he was a good six to seven meters away from her. The sounds of her sobbing echoed into the night around them. His body took one step towards her when suddenly another figure shot out of the double doors, a man with a blonde hair. He stopped just a couple of feet form LME's doorstep.

"Kyoko!" He screamed. "Please, I'm begging you." The man ran his fingers through his hair and took a few steps closer to the auburn-haired girl, presumably, Kyoko. He had to have been at least ten meters away from her.

"Stay the hell away from me!" She shouted in response to him, anger evident in her expression. The American watched as she started walking backwards, off the curb and onto the street. The foreigner glanced to the blondie and watched as he raised his hands in defeat. _What the fuck is going on,_ the American thought. His eyes fell on the woman once again and she continued to walk backwards until she was standing in the middle of the road, a good seventeen to eighteen meters away from Sho and now about ten meters away from him.

"Kyoko, please get out of the street! Look, I'm not moving okay?" The blonde man pleaded to the girl with wide, frightened eyes. "Please babe, just get off the street!"

The tall stranger looked back over to the girl and saw her shaking her head. She then blinked as if her eyes were burning, and began rubbing at them. He saw the bright lights coming towards her and his stare grew. "_Oh shit, you've got to be fucking kidding me,"_ he cursed. Noticing the headlights approach was gaining speed, he broke into a run towards her without a second thought as the other man's voice rang out.

"KYOKO! LOOK OUT!" Sho screamed as he also ran towards his beloved. The idol very quickly realized that he would never make it in time. The sounds of screeching tires and an obnoxious horn made his heart race with unbelievable fright. "KYOKO!" He shouted again as the truck dangerously sped towards the actress.


	6. Chapter 6: Kuon

**Note:**** Italicized quotes means that the character is speaking in English.**

* * *

**Chapter 06: Kuon**

Screeching tires shattered the silence of the cold night. Bright, beaming headlights approached Kyoko faster and faster. Her shivering form stood frozen solid, eyes wide yet blinded by the lights. The driver gripped his steering wheel tightly and cursed the maniac in the middle of the road. He hoped, prayed, and wished to whatever Kami-sama there existed for the vehicle to stop in time to save the girl. He slammed his feet upon the brake and clutch, but the slick blacktop made him realize that it wouldn't be enough. A bitter taste danced across his tongue as his heart jerked with terror.

Sho ran as quickly as he could, pushing himself harder and faster, to reach Kyoko before the inevitable collision. Seeing the truck's front end getting dangerously closer, he mentally cursed himself for allowing all of this to happen in the first place. His one stupid mistake many years ago would now cost him the life of the woman he loved so dearly. Brown eyes burned with tears as his mouth spread releasing her name loudly with desperation.

Quickly closing the small gap between them, the foreigner gritted his teeth and lunged for the immobilized woman. The beaming luminescence blared into his sapphire orbs, making him cringe with discomfort. Fighting the searing sensation in his retinas, he wrapped his arm around Kyoko slamming her down to the damp, pebbly asphalt. Her head painfully smacked against the ground with a loud thump. Intuitively, he placed is hand over her face, covering her body with his. The tires squealed with an ear-piercing ferocity as the truck spun out of control. When the sounds stopped, he glanced over his shoulder. Smoke billowed out from around the vehicle. The driver hopped out of the large truck and took a few steps towards them. Seeing that she was safely out of his way, he hunched over exhaling with great relief.

_Shit, I almost didn't make it,_ the American thought with amazement. Turning his attention back to Kyoko, he gently uncovered her face and then fingered her messy hair from her face. Her thin brows were scrunched with an expression of agony, lids tightly shut. His heart raced maniacally within his chest. Forcing air down his lungs, he tried to calm his raging pulse. Placing his hands on either side of her face, he pushed up, towering above her and looked into her eyes as they flickered open. It took his breathe away. _Wow, such sad, beautiful eyes… I wonder what happened to you. I haven't seen such pain in a long time._

"Are you okay?" He asked after clearing his throat, in perfect Japanese. She lifted her head and coughed roughly before resting back down. Her lids closed as she gently turned her face to the side. "Hey, stay with me." He slid to her side and then slipped his hand beneath her, pulling her into his arms. He cradled her body like she was a fragile child. When his palm left her head, he found it painted in shiny blood. "_Oh fuck."_ He began to shake her to get her eyes open. "Hey. Open your eyes. Stay with me dammit." Grinding his teeth together, his mind released an array of frustrated vulgarity.

Sho ran up to them and then fell to his knees. He crawled to the other side of his wife and looked down at her with a wide, shocked stare. He immediately caught the red on the stranger's palm. The singer's heart lurched. "Oh no… Kyoko." He took her hand in his and held it tightly. Lifting his head, he found foreign blue gems observing him. "What happened?" He asked hoarsely.

"She hit her head when I pushed her out of the way," the American answered, matter-of-factly. "You need to call an ambulance, right now." He waited until Sho pulled out his phone and began dialing before turning back to the woman in his lap. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him confusingly. "Are you okay?" He asked again, a bit louder. When she shakily reached up and grabbed his coat collar, his eyes grew. Kyoko pulled him towards her. Her lips parted and a quiet voice uttered one simple word. "W-what?" He whispered as he gaped at her with mounting astonishment. "What did you just say?"

"Corn…?" she whispered again. "My fairy prince, is that really you…Corn?" Then her body relaxed and her eyes rolled back drowning her in darkness.

"Ambulance will be here in a few minutes," Sho said putting his phone aside on the floor. "Here, let me." Sho then gently pulled Kyoko into his arms. He found himself holding her tightly, afraid that she'd disappear if he released her. Stroking her hair, he prayed for her life quietly.

The foreigner sat still for a moment longer than anticipated as he carefully watched the interaction between the two. His eyes moved to the blonde hair of the man across from him and the affectionate way he treated her. Licking his lips, he found he couldn't resist the temptation. "Is she your girlfriend?" When the idol looked up at him, the American's heart jerked.

"She's my wife." Sho said simply. "I'm Fuwa Sho," he added.

"H-Hizuri Kuon." He looked down at Kyoko and was immediately attacked with a flourish of memories long forgotten.

* * *

"_**Gosh, it's so hot today," Kuon mumbled. As he sat beside the creek, he kicked his feet in the water. Shading his eyes, he looked to the sky and smiled. Such a clear day with such a hot sun.**_

"_**Corn!" Her sweet voice called to him. He looked down to find her walking to him with a small damp handkerchief in her hand. "Put this on your head. It'll help keep you cool." Tilting her head, she smiled innocently to him.**_

_**Taking the offering, he placed it on the back of his neck and sighed with relief. "Thanks, Kyoko. That feels so much better." She sat down beside him and beamed at being able to help, even if just a little. "You seem happier today."**_

_**Kyoko nodded, her small twin tails bouncing with her head. "Today was a good day, Corn!"**_

"_**Oh yeah? Tell me about it." Taking the handkerchief, he wiped his brow and the front of his neck, trying to stay cool. "I want to know what makes you smile like this." She looked into his eyes and he could tell that she was a sincere, kind little girl.**_

"_**After my mom left, I was sitting alone. I thought that I was going to cry and I wanted to run away, but then Sho-chan came to me." Kyoko's eyes sparkled with delight. "We played together and we laughed. It was so much fun. Sho-chan is the prince that will save me one day! And then we'll live happily ever after."**_

_**Kuon couldn't help but feel a small pang of pain at her words. Every time she spoke of her "happily ever after" with Sho-chan his heart wilted. But despite all of that, he couldn't help but admire her resolve, her ability to forget her pain so easily, to look passed it. If only he could do that with his own burdens, maybe he could be as happy as she was. As she continued talking about her Sho-chan, the little Fairy Prince continued to bask in her harmonious company.**_

* * *

"You look so peaceful," Sho whispered to his wife as he gently caressed her cheek. She lay soundly asleep in the private, spacious hospital room. The covers were tucked tightly around her body, thin arms laid across the top. Sho sat to her left with their fingers entwined. Bringing her hand to his mouth, he kissed her knuckles delicately. "I'm sorry for ever hurting you, Kyoko." A small drop of moisture rolled from his eye down to her pale skin. "If you can hear me, please know that I love you so dearly." He returned her hand to the bed and then rested his head beside her, draping his free arm over her still body.

"I'm surprised that you are still here, son." Lory said from behind Kuon. He approached the young man, taking his place beside him. Following the actor's gaze, the president looked through the window and thick horizontal blinds to the couple in the room. "His love for her is quite amazing, isn't it?" A sweet smile touched the elder's lips.

"Hmph," Kuon scoffed with narrowed eyes. Ever since she called him "Corn" he had felt captivated, strongly hoping that it was mere coincidence He was further disturbed when Fuwa Sho had revealed his identity, thus confirming that she was in fact the Kyoko from his childhood. Kuon closed his eyes. He had pondered this day for so many years, but never could he have imagined that it would ensue like this. _Oh Kyoko, what the hell happened to you…?_ "If his love is so amazing, then why was she running from him?" Kuon muttered bitterly as his lids slid back.

The veteran cosplayer watched the boy he loved like his own son with growing curiosity. Seeing the familiar blue eyes intently gawk the celebrity couple, the president couldn't help but feel that he was missing a very important piece of the puzzle. After another moment, he sighed inwardly and then placed a warm hand upon Kuon's shoulder.

Kuon turned to his second father and chuckled. "You look ridiculous." Whirling from the window, he walked over to the plush private waiting area and took his seat at the corner of a grey sofa. Resting his head back, he stared at the white ceiling and pictured the tear-stained cheeks of a child he only ever saw in dreams.

Takarada Lory, who was dressed like a Middle Eastern Prince in long silk robes the color of toasted sand, walked over and sat down across from the actor. _"Why are you so fascinated with her?"_ He asked bluntly in English, crossing his arms over his chest. When Kuon looked at him with wide-eye astonishment, Lory laughed. "_I'm quite a bit more perceptive then you, it seems."_

Tsking, he furrowed his brows and looked away. _"I'm not fascinated by her." _Kuon spat bitterly. _"I think she's a complete idiot, running out into the street like that. Who does that?" _He mirrored the superior's form, fingers pressing tightly into his wool clad biceps.

Lory sighed. _"If you had suffered the way she has suffered then you would be less inclined to pass judgment so quickly."_ He leaned back and closed his eyes, contemplating the events of the long evening thus far. Exhaustion began to seep into his bones, making him realize that he was no longer the young, vibrant Lory that had once led LME only in his dreams.

Glancing over at the president, Kuon groaned inwardly. Even he couldn't deny the interest that had started simmering deep inside of him. Knowing that he would kick himself later, he dropped his arms and leaned forward, resting elbows on his knees. _"Tell me. What happened to her? What would drive her to be so callous?"_ When Lory gave him an amused cock-eyed look, he clenched his jaw. _"Fine, call it fascination if it pleases you, goddammit."_

Laughing, he stood and strode around the center wooden coffee table to sit beside the twenty-five year old foreigner. Gently patting Kuon on the shoulder, Lory looked into his cerulean eyes and smiled. _"You tell me first, son."_

"_I don't know what you're referring to, Boss,"_ Kuon answered with a quiet voice. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed a nervous lump.

"_Don't bullshit me, Kuon. I saw the way you acted when the ambulance arrived. You couldn't take your eyes off of her. Your expression, you looked to be dazed. And what about now, standing there just ogling at her as if you were trying to decipher some complex riddle. You know her, don't you?"_

Kuon chortled, masking the truth of it from his face with expert precision. _"She's Kyoko, right? Japan's number one actress if I'm not mistaken?"_ The president's fingers began to squeeze the shoulder they rested upon with amazing strength, making the blonde cringe. _"Damn you,"_ he gritted.

"You cannot outsmart me. I am Takarada Lory, president of LME and King Bullshitter of this universe. If you don't believe me, just ask that food machine of a father you have." The superior quipped in Japanese.

A warm smirk touched Kuon's lips as he remembered his father, Kuu. "In all fairness, I did ask you first Boss." Kuon replied matching the cosplayer's language.

"So, if I tell you then you'll tell me?"

Sighing with defeat, the Hizuri hotty nodded his head. _"Deal."_

The president leaned back into the grey couch comfortably, draping his arm along the top behind Kuon. He spent a moment fully scrutinizing the young man's expression before giving in. "Normally, I would be disinclined to reveal personal information such as this, especially as it pertains to her. But given the enigma of it all, I'll oblige just this once." When Kuon nodded appreciatively, Lory continued. "Kyoko-kun and Sho-kun have been going through a rather rough patch as of late. It felt very odd given how happy they were just a few weeks back. I believe he was even planning a romantic getaway for their anniversary." Lory noticed a thin vein twitch in Kuon's neck and instantly recognized jealousy, but he kept to himself and continued without faltering. "So it was extremely recent. But something happened between them and she left him. Tonight, in fact, she actually picked up and walked out on him. From everything that I have seen, I can tell quite clearly that she is very determined to end her marriage, but no one knows why. The only two people who do are in that room over there."

Kuon's eyes moved to the large window once again as his mind worked in overdrive to figure out the tangled knots before him. "Whatever he did, I could tell from the look in her eyes that she was ready to be consumed by death."

The president's brown eyes widened with complete disbelief. He sat up a bit straighter and then also moved his gaze towards the window.

"I held her in my arms and I could tell that she wished I didn't save her. That's not the Kyoko I knew."

"So you do know her." Lory said.

Kuon nodded slowly. He licked his lips and then swallowed. "I know of Kyoko. The woman lying in that hospital bed is a stranger to me, Boss. The Kyoko I knew… Well, I knew her many years ago."

Stroking his goatee, Lory stood up and then walked over to the opposite couch. He sat down again. When Kuon met his eyes, he nodded. "Tell me everything, Kuon."

"You mustn't tell her any of this. Promise me." Kuon said sternly. Seeing the hesitation in his elder's eyes, he continued. "Please, promise me."

"Fine, as you wish, son. Now tell me."

* * *

Kanae laid back into her fluffy pillow with a heavy sigh. Her eyes watched the thin blades of the ceiling fan go around and around as her heart started to relax. "I can't believe this stupid night."

Kijima rolled onto his side beside her and delicately slid his hand over her stomach. He then pulled her towards him and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. "It's definitely one of the weirdest ones we've ever had." Feeling her palm cover his hand, he smiled. Never in his life had he felt as lucky as he did now. Raising his head, he kissed her affectionately on the cheek. She turned to him with a questioning stare and he chuckled. "I know that it's silly and probably insensitive to think like this, but tonight's taught me that I never want to feel what Sho's feeling. The pain in his eyes was almost too much to watch. I don't ever want to hurt you, to risk losing you in such a way. I just wanna say that I really love and if I've ever pissed you off, I'm sorry."

Kanae turned to her side and gently cupped his face, tears lapping at her lashes. "You're never cease to surprise me," she whispered. Leaning forward, the actress kissed her beau kindly. "I love you too, Hide. Way more than you deserve."

He pulled her against him and smiled. "Oh trust me, beautiful. I'm aware of this fact." Kijima gave her an Eskimo kiss and then smiled as she giggled. After a few moments of comfortable silence, he braved the question. "How is she doing?"

Kanae sighed. "She has a concussion. There was also a small cut on the back of her head, they had to stich up. They are keeping her in the hospital tonight and may release her tomorrow, depending on how she's feeling."

"I'm glad to hear that it's nothing too serious."

Touching her forehead to his, she closed her eyes and felt her ducts release hot moisture. It rolled down, across her face where it softly kissed the cotton coverings of her pillow. Kanae took a deep breath and tried to relax her storming nerves.

"Hey," Kijima said quietly. Propping himself up with his left elbow, he took his right hand and gently brushed the wet streaks from her face. "Hey, look at me." Her lashes fluttered as her eyes met his. "It's okay, babe. She's okay. Everything will be okay."

"H-how can you say that, Hide? What if that stranger didn't save her in time? What if she—"

Placing his fingertips upon her lips, he silenced her chaotic ranting. "Look, there's no point on dwelling on the what-ifs of the past. Just be thankful that she's alive. All of this other stuff, them fighting and possibly splitting up, that's the easy stuff. Okay? We'll be there for them the best that we can. It's all we can do for them. Just focus on the fact that she's still breathing and you can see her tomorrow."

Wrapping her arms tightly around him, she buried her face into his chest and nodded. "You're right." As he stroked her long ebon hair, she tried her hardest not to think about the catastrophes that were avoided. Instead she concentrated on the tender moment she was sharing with her beloved. Deep down, Kanae knew that everything else was a second thought. "Thank you. I'd be so lost without you."

Gently pressing his lips to her head, Kijima reciprocated her embrace and smiled. "Always. For you, always."


	7. Chapter 7: Savior

**Chapter 07: Savior**

"Ohayoo gozaimasu, Hizuri-san!" A pleasant female voice echoed in the large, dark bedroom. The blonde, convinced that he was dreaming, ignored the woman and tried to force his waking eyes to remain shut.

The maid named Ami, grinned at the actor as she walked past the large bed. Takarada Lory had warned her about his luxurious sleeping habits. Raised in a house of four older brothers, inwardly she felt glee at what she was about to do to him. After walking across the spacious guest bedroom, she reached the floor-to-ceiling Victorian style windows. Grabbing a handful of the dark red, brocade curtains, she pulled them apart and watched as the rings on the bronze pole high above slid to their respective corners. Radiant sunlight filtered through the dual-pane windows, filling the entire room with beautiful warmth.

Groaning with displeasure, the Hizuri hotty pulled the spare, large pillow over his head and then burrowed deeper into the thick blankets. "It's my day off!" His irritated voice shouted from beneath his make-shift shell, muffled and cutesy rather than intimidating.

Ami turned towards the four poster king sized bed, grin broadening. Clearing her throat, she elegantly walked over to him and looked down at the large blob beneath the sheets. "Hizuri-san, I'm afraid that I must insist on your rising out of bed. Takarada-sama has insisted that you join him for breakfast."

"You can tell _Takarada-sama_," Kuon spat with distaste, "that I am currently very busy! Now please, with all due respect, _get out!_"

Tsking, the beautiful young maid shook her head with disappointment. "I see." She replied raising a brow at the delinquent. "You leave me with no choice then." Reaching forward, she grabbed handfuls of blanket and then heaved the thick, heavy materials off the spoiled celebrity. Sweeping it around, she dropped it to the floor gracefully behind her. Turning her attention to him once more, she ran her hands down her white apron and then entwined her fingers, patiently awaiting the tantrum that was to ensue.

Kuon, who had been lying in nothing but his black Armani boxer briefs, exhaled with blossoming aggravation. Roughly pulling the pillow from his head, he rolled onto this back and then pushed into a sitting position, hands out behind him. Slowly turning his head towards the annoying little wench, his blue eyes narrowed with rage. When she tilted her head and smiled innocently to him, he was astounded. Angrily pulling himself out of bed, he took a step towards her and practically growled. "If I paid you to go away, would you?"

She snorted. "Yes, he said you would try that tactic as well. What's your offer then, Hizuri-san?"

Lifting an eyebrow to her, Kuon chortled. "They always have a price," he mumbled. Sitting back down on the bed, he nodded towards the sitting area of the room, where his jeans were draped over the plush sofa. "My wallet's in there. Take whatever you want. Hell, take it all. Just let me sleep."

Licking her lips with amusement, Ami spun around and strode over to the jeans. She fetched his wallet from the back pocket, flipped it open and pulled out all of the money there was. Then she slid the wallet back and returned the jeans to the sofa. As she approached him, she could picture the expression that was about to take place on that devilishly handsome face. Her fingers quickly flipped through the bills as she expertly counted the money in her hands. "Two hundred, forty two thousand, three hundred, fifty five yen." Nodding her head lightly, she looked up and met him eye to eye. "Very nice, Hizuri-san." Ami slid the wad of cash into the deep pocket of her apron and then offered him that innocent smile again. "Unfortunately for you, I was offered triple the amount of whatever you offered me." Seeing the color drain from his face, made her snicker cutely.

Kuon stood up, teeth grating teeth, as he walked up to her. "Then why did you keep my money?"

"Payment for this trouble that you're giving me, but of course." Turning away from him, she walked over to the pile of blankets and kneeled before them. As she started separating the sheets, she continued speaking matter-of-factly. "You have exactly fifteen minutes to shower and dress. I would recommend that you work quickly so as not to inconvenience Takarada-sama."

Tsking with an unbelievable amount of fury, Kuon fumed off towards his bathroom, steam wafting from his ears.

Lory was sitting at the head of the long, mahogany dining table, flipping through the day's tabloids, checking to see if there would be any need for damage control. He sincerely hoped that there wouldn't be any surprises after all he despised out of the blue press conferences the most. After scanning the last page of the last tabloid, he felt a great satisfaction. Folding the papers, he set them aside, just as Kuon stormed into the room, taking his seat to the left of the president. "Ah, so nice of you to finally join me."

Kuon glared at the elder as the butler placed a plain white saucer and cup before him. Then he poured steaming, decadent coffee into the cup, bowed to the duo and exited the room. Not bothering to let it cool, the actor grabbed the cup and sipped the dark bliss. After he was content with fresh caffeine in his veins, he turned to his second father. "What the hell was that all about?"

Feigning ignorance, Lory picked up a knife and fork and began to cut into the delicious crab omelet that he had the chef prepare for him. "I have no idea what you're talking about." As he placed the small morsel into his mouth, his eyes sparkled and he felt wonderful. The taste was absolutely divine.

Reaching his limit, Kuon grabbed the president's plate and placed it on the other side of him. Seeing the sad puppy dog eyes of his superior, he smirked evilly. "Now, why was I not allowed to sleep in? You do realize that technically I'm on vacation until the filming begins right?"

Carefully placing his eating utensils down, Lory faced the brute with his own scheming smirk. "Do you realize that it's actually noon?" Seeing blue eyes widen, his smirk turned smug. "Exactly. I think you've slept enough."

"But… That maid of yours…"

"I know, she is _my_ maid after all. Is she not?" Standing up, he leaned across the table and grabbed his plate. After settling back down, he gave his guest an icy stare. "Never touch my food again."

"You sound like father," Kuon scoffed.

"Hmph, if he was here, I'd be so lucky to get as much as a crumb."

A comfortable silence befell them as the president ate and Kuon sipped his coffee. The actor suddenly found his mind filled with thoughts of the previous night. Even after they had left the hospital, he found himself ruminating about his past encounter with Kyoko. No matter how much he tried, he simply couldn't get the teary-eyed little girl out of his mind. The more he thought of her, the more he compared the child to the adult. _Those eyes, they held no warmth._ Kuon thought as he stared into his empty coffee cup. _What could make you lose your compassionate heart, I wonder._

"Kyoko-kun?"

Hearing her name snapped him back to reality. Shaking his head lightly, Kuon turned to the president as his assistant Sebastian handed over a cell phone. As the butler passed, Kuon flagged him down for a coffee refill and listened intently to Lory's side of the conversation.

"What do you mean she's trying to flee?" All amusement had vanished, instantly replaced with deep concern. "I see… No, he is her husband, but things are rather complicated at the moment… Of course Jin-sensei. As you think is best… I will head over immediately. If it really bothers her that much, then have him escorted out of her room… Indeed, arigatou." He ended the call and slid the phone beside his plate onto the table.

Kuon could see the president's mind churning with deep contemplation. He opened his mouth to inquire, but was interrupted when Sebastian spoke.

"Sir, as per your request, the apartment has been prepped for Kyoko-kun."

"Thank you, Sebastian." Lory replied, wiping his mouth with a cloth napkin. He leaned back in his chair and then stroked his thin goatee. "I will have Kanae-kun bring over her belongings. I don't think it would be wise for her to return to her apartment to gather them herself."

"I am inclined to agree with this assessment."

Kuon sat a bit straighter, brows meeting in confusion. "Wait, so you're getting her an apartment?"

Both men faced him curiously. "No, I am not _getting_ her an apartment. I am allowing her to stay in a place that is currently under my care." His brown eyes scrutinized the young man, hoping that he would understand the implication.

Sebastian watched the interaction between the two and immediately guessed where the conversation was going. Not wanting to be in the line of fire, he turned to the president and bowed to take his leave. As he walked out of the door, a grin had grown on his lips.

Kuon pondered the elder's words until they hit him like a slap in the face. His hands gripped the wooden armrests of his chair fiercely. "_Oh Hell no!"_ He whined in English. _"You are __not__ letting her use __my__ apartment!"_

"_You have no use for it. You're staying here."_ Lory countered.

Sighing, he raked his blonde hair back and mentally cursed the old man. _"Look Boss, I need my apartment. I need my own personal space. That's actually why I headed to LME last night."_

Lory laughed.

"_This isn't funny."_

"_This is spectacularly hilarious."_

"_It's MY APARTMENT!"_ Kuon shouted standing up. _"I absolutely refuse to let you give it away to her! Doesn't she have friends she can stay with? Or just let her stay here! God only knows how many rooms you have in this massive piece of—"_

"_DON'T start with me!"_ The president intervened, filling his voice with his authoritative prowess. Pushing into a stance, he walked around and stood before the taller beast. "Look," he continued in Japanese. "Knowing Kyoko, she will not accept help from others around her for fear of being an inconvenience. She will want her own space. Also, with the way things are between her and Sho-kun, I know that she will not return home. If I don't let her stay at the apartment, where else will she go?"

"But it's _my_ place!" Kuon whined further. "And we can't very well share it." Seeing Lory's eyes grow, the actor began to shake his head. _"No fucking way, Boss!"_

A beautiful plot began to take root in the genius's mind. His eyes flickered to the blonde, as if he was noticing him for the first time. A few seconds later, his jaw dropped and a bellowing laughter escaped his throat. "I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner!" Lory clapped his hands together and then rubbed them. "This will be delicious."

Sighing, Kuon dropped his head to his chest mentally cursed his luck. "I can't believe this."

"Oh come on." Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited for the Hizuri offspring to raise his eyes to him. Brown eyes challenged blue ones with mounting amusement. "Are you honestly telling me that you aren't even a bit curious?"

Narrowing his gaze, he knew that this was a trap. Whatever answer he gave would be wrong, or would implicate him one way or another. Holding his lips tightly together, Kuon remained silent.

"I saw the way you looked at her. You can't bullshit me, son."

Tasting defeat, he clenched his jaw and inhaled deeply. "Fine," he caved. "I might be slightly curious. But as far as she's concerned, I'm a stranger. How the hell do you actually plan to make this work?"

Again, Lory laughed, patting the young man on the shoulder. "I didn't get to this position if I wasn't damn good at what I do. Just leave it to me."

* * *

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" Kyoko shouted as she took a couple of steps back, into the corner of her hospital room.

Sho froze and raised his hands up. "I'm not going to hurt you, Kyoko." He pleaded. "I just want to make sure that you're okay."

"You have no right!" She screamed. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she stared at her husband with moist eyes. "W-why are you even here, Sho? Please just leave me alone."

Sho slowly walked over to her bed and sat down at the foot. He raked his hair back and sighed sadly. "I was worried about you. You hit your head really hard and I needed to be sure that you'd be okay." His voice was quiet and raspy, filled with his painful emotions. As he stared at his wedding band, he couldn't help but recall that she no longer had hers. Raising his head, Sho admired the country's most successful actress. "I love you, Kyoko."

Uncontrollable tears rolled down her cheeks. She could see the affection he held for her in the way he stared at her. She could hear the burden of his guilt in his voice. Fuwa Sho, a man who never gets emotional over anything, was sitting before her with eyes as solemn as her heart. Intuitively she took one step towards him. A flash of his confession seared across her mind and she stopped. Holding her balled hands to her chest, Kyoko shook her head slowly. "I… I can't, Sho. I can't do this. As much as I would like to, I just can't believe a word you say…"

"I…understand."

There was a soft knock at the door and Dr. Jin entered. A short, elder man, in his early fifties, he had a head full of salt and pepper hair, almost down to his shoulders. A matching, perfectly trimmed goatee framed his soft full lips. Thick shapely eyebrows a bit darker than his hair, gave his grey eyes a sophisticated appeal. He eyed the couple curiously. "If I am interrupting, I can return later."

"No!" Kyoko wiped her cheeks and sniffled. "You're not interrupting anything."

"Good." Stepping into the room, he closed the door behind him. He saw that Kyoko had changed into jeans and a comfortably teal Henley shirt with matching chucks. "The reports have come back. You are good to go home, Kyoko-san."

The actress sighed with relief. "Thank god." Her shoulders slumped as she relaxed ever-so-lightly.

"But I do have one condition." Jin continued.

Kyoko felt her heart stall. "Okay…"

"I can only release you into the care of another individual." Jin looked from Kyoko to Sho and saw hope in his eyes. But when he returned his gaze to the young woman, he saw hesitancy. Reaching up, he gave his nose a small scratch. "I had a feeling that you would not want to go home with your husband, so I took the liberty of calling Takarada-san. He will be here very soon to take you home."

Kyoko bowed in appreciation. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Jin-sensei."

He nodded and then turned to Sho. "I'm afraid that I will have to ask you to leave, Fuwa-san."

Sho looked to Kyoko, expression begging for allowance. She shook her head at him with sparkling, drenched eyes. He could feel his heart tightening, but said nothing. Quietly he stood up and smiled to his wife, an unspoken declaration of his love for her. Then he silently exited the room with the doctor.

As he walked over to the sitting area, Lory and the mysterious stranger who had saved Kyoko's life approached. Instead of taking his seat, he walked over to the duo and greeted them.

"How is she?" Lory asked Sho instead of the doctor. Jin noticed and immediately understood the president's intentions. He bowed to all of them and took his leave.

Sho restlessly rubbed his hands on his legs, continuously glancing to Kyoko's room. "Sh-she's awake and ready to go home. But she won't… We were waiting for you."

Kuon heard his shaking voice and felt nothing for him. He tried to place himself in Sho's shoes last night as sleep evaded him. He had spent a couple of hours contemplating the singer's point of view and situation, but no matter how much he considered it, he felt nothing but anger towards him. Fuwa Sho was the man who had caused Kyoko's compassion to vanish like an illusion. Whatever happened to her, he was the cause of it all. Looking away from him, he decided to follow the retreating doctor.

Lory's eyes briefly fell on Kuon as he walked off, but in the end he gave it no mind. "Well, we are here to take her home now." His strong hand kindly fell upon Sho's shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Look son, I want you to know that we will take very good care of her. I will try to talk to her, make her understand, if I am able."

Sho nodded. "I appreciate that, Takarada-san. I really do, but I have a feeling that your efforts will be wasted." His fingertips came up quickly, swiping the escaped drops before they could trek further down his face. "I know what I did and I acknowledge that this might be the end for us. I only ask that… " His eyes fell on the white door once again as his words became trapped in the web of his lungs. Swallowing painfully, Sho turned to Lory with a faint smile. "I have to go now. Just take care of her." Before the president could say another word, Sho quickly walked off towards the elevators, slipping into the space before the doors closed.

Lory sighed gloomily. He remembered Kyoko and Sho as a happy couple when she came to LME as a teenager. He recalled her desire to join the industry so she could help her loving husband. She had everything they had wanted except a profound acceptance of family. The simple mention of a loving familial environment had sent her into a raging, miserable fit. So he created LoveMe to help her cope. In the end, not only did she learn that family was a beautiful thing, but she had worked harder than any other star and rose to the top. Never in all of those years could Lory have pictured the perfect couple crumbling in such a way.

"He's gone." Kuon stated as he walked back to the president. "I spoke to the doctor. We can take her now."

Looking into unsure cerulean eyes, Lory faced him seriously. "Are you ready for this? Do you understand what you will have to do if she agrees to stay with you?"

Kuon gulped.

"I won't lie, son. It will be quite the responsibility, as I explained on the drive over."

After another few seconds, Kuon nodded slowly. "I understand, Boss."

Kyoko zipped up her small bag and fingered the shoulder straps distractedly. Hearing a series of knocks on the door, she spun about just as the president walked through with a tall blonde stranger behind him. Her eyes grew at the sight of him. Naturally pink lips parted slightly as she tried to place him in her memory. A vision of her childhood rang through her mind.

"Ohayoo Kyoko-kun," Lory greeted her warmly, smiling sweetly.

"Ohayoo Takarada-san." Kyoko bowed lightly to her superior and then to the foreigner.

"This is Kuon," the president spoke noticing her eyeing the young man curiously.

"Kuon…" Kyoko whispered. Stepping forward she offered him her hand. "_It's nice to meet you._" She greeted him in English, forcing a smile.

Kuon looked down at her hand feeling surprised by the gesture. Deciding not to speak at all, he took her small hand in his larger one and shook it lightly.

_This is brilliant,_ Lory thought as he watched the two.

"Um, Takarada-san, why is he here?" Kyoko asked breaking her eyes from the penetrating deep blue gems intently staring at her. As she turned her head to her the elder, a piercing shot of agony rang through the back of her head. Hissing with pain, she reached up and mildly rubbed her head.

"Are you all right?" Lory asked.

Kyoko nodded. "I will be."

"I thought that you'd like to meet the man who saved your life last night."

Kuon felt her eyes fall on him again. This time they were questioning him with such intensity, he found his heart racing. Mesmerized by the golden color of her stare, he found that he couldn't look away, no matter how much he wanted to. He finally opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when the door behind him opened. Stepping further into the room, he turned and narrowed his eyes when Sho opened the door.

"Sho…" Kyoko whispered.

"I'm sorry, but…" Leaving the door open, Sho walked up to the actress and but stopped when she moved back a pace.

Kuon saw her reluctance at being close to Fuwa at all. His hands curled into fists in his denim pockets, but he stayed back. He wasn't sure what it was, but something inside of him came alive. He found that he was ready to jump to her in a moment's notice if the need arose. Inwardly, he chuckled. _All this for a woman who is nothing more than a stranger to me._

"I forgot to give you your phone." Pulling the smartphone from his pocket, he offered it to the actress. "It fell during the… I grabbed it for you."

Kyoko shakily brought her hand to the device, but never made contact. Her head erupted with unbearable agony and all of a sudden she felt immensely lightheaded. Shutting her eyes tightly, her palms touched her temples and squeezed as her mouth broke in a small scream. Her body felt weak and began to fall. Before she could hit the ground, Hizuri Kuon had stepped up to her in a blur and swept her off her feet. Her head fell against his shoulder as she succumbed to darkness. The small petite body went limp in his arms.

Sho's shocked eyes rose to the American with furrowed jealous brows. Unable to resist, his mouth spread revealing clenched teeth. "Why are _you_ here?"

Lory stepped up. "I asked him to be here."

Looking from the superior to the stranger, Sho felt his blood boil. Hearing his wife moan quietly, he realized that now was not the time. His brown eyes fell on her. "Maybe we should call a doctor."

Feeling the dark, green aura of envy surrounding him, Kuon turned his head to the shorter celebrity with distaste. "No, we don't. What we need to do is get her the hell away from you."

Lory's eyes grew at the bitterness that dripped from his guest's voice. "Kuon!"

"Who the hell do you think you are? You don't know a goddamned thing about her!" Sho shouted.

"Hmph," Kuon scoffed, turning from Sho as he held onto the actress like she was a precious treasure. When he reached the open door, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "I know that she tried to die last night… because of you. What else is there _to_ know about her?"

Stunned to silence, Sho simply gawked at the blonde asshole before him.

"I'm taking her. If you have a problem with it… Well, quite frankly I don't give a shit how you feel."

A shocked Lory and Fuwa Sho were left alone to stare at his back as he walked off with Kyoko.

* * *

**As you can see, different than Sho's Salvation. :) If you get a chance, drop me a review! L8R.**


	8. Chapter 8: Rain

**Chapter 08: Rain**

The day turned dark as the bleak weather started her torment early. Clear skies quickly turned cloudy, swallowing the sun in its embrace. The heavens screamed with thunder as rain began to patter the concrete of Tokyo's city streets. People scrambled like ants to get to their destinations sooner. Cars became jammed on the roads as windshield wipers danced back and forth, back and forth with great haste.

Sho turned away from his bedroom window and walked the five paces to the large bed. The black satin sheets were perfectly made—the large comforter folded down, pillows placed against the backboard and the surrounded with a few smaller cushions. There wasn't a single wrinkle in the ebon canvas. His eyes fell to her side of the bed, the empty space where she would sleep soundly draped only with his arm upon her waist.

Sho closed his eyes and held his jaw tight as the memories of his life with Kyoko started to plague him. Standing alone in their luxury apartment, in the bedroom where they had first made love after getting married, was starting to grate his calm. A thousand moments of love, laughs and life were prickling at the thin threads that kept him sane. Long lashes flicked up as he opened his eyes and found the bed just as empty as it was a moment ago. The thin threads twirled and began to snap, one by one.

Storming around to Kyoko's side, he grabbed the cushions and flung them off the bed. Reaching down, he curled his strong fingers around the sheets and angrily pulled them off the thick mattress. His lungs burned for air as he held his breath and created a mess. Looking around at the floor, he realized that his heart was not yet content. Shifting his gaze around, Sho saw the picture of them on her nightstand. Shaky hands grasped the frame bringing it in for a closer look. It was a beautiful photo of them on their wedding day, Kyoko shoving cake into the idol's face with a gorgeous smile.

His veins began to boil with rage. Sho screamed with guilt-fueled angst and then slammed the frame against the wall. A spray of tiny glass shards went flying around the bed, the frame sliding to the floor in a broken heap. His knees buckled and he, too, fell to the ground in a heap. Rolling onto his back, he closed his eyes and cried with visions of a love lost.

* * *

Lory opened the envelope and spilled its contents into his hand. Tossing the golden envelope onto his desk, he carefully eyed the 8 x 10 black and white photos. "This came in today?" He asked seriously.

"Yes," Sebastian answered simply. His black eyes moved from the photos in his superior's hands to the superior himself. Today was an unusual day as the normally cosplaying head of LME was dressed casually in dark grey slacks with a black short sleeved sweater. The solemn attire matched the elder man's solemn mood way too well and it filled the assistant with sadness. "We had them inspected again. There was nothing giving way to the identity of the sender."

The pictures were intimate of nature in the ways that they were shot. Kyoko's smiling face was in the first photograph. She was lying in bed with her head propped up on her husband's chest, wrapped in a sheet. A few of the other photos were of Kyoko at public events, but the shots were candid where no camera should have been able to snap a picture. After the fifth and final photograph, a note was found. Narrowing his eyes, the president read each and every word as his mind processed the hidden meaning behind the message. "Once again it's addressed to Kyoko-kun," Lory mumbled to no one in particular.

"Should we not inform her of this development?" Sebastian asked matter-of-factly.

Lifting his gaze from the white piece of paper, Lory observed his most trusted confidante carefully. He nodded slowly before returning his eyes to the note. Reading it one more time, he sighed heavily and then tossed the small stack onto his desk, over the envelope. Pushing into a stance, he walked around the desk and lightly patted his assistant on the shoulder. "You are absolutely right. Kyoko must be informed of this, but given her current state of mind I honestly don't see her handling this very well."

"With all due respect sir, we cannot keep something of this caliber from her indefinitely."

Lory nodded again. "Oh I am inclined to agree with you. But I still don't believe that this moment is the right moment. Let her settle in to her new surroundings and get some semblance of a handle on her life. I need her to be very cooperative when I explain this situation to her. After all, it seems like her safety is involved. For now, just make sure she has everything she'll need during her stay at Kuon's."

Sebastian bowed deeply. "As you wish." He then deftly spun on his heels and exited the office.

* * *

The tranquil sound of trickling water echoed around her. As much as she found it relaxing, she also found it a little distracting. As she rolled onto her back, her lightly scrunched eyes flickered open slowly. The ceiling was decorated with the shadow of a thousand large water drops, while the room was filled with clouded illumination from the austere weather outside.

Noticing that her rampaging headache had dialed down to a dull throb, she shakily pushed herself up into a sitting position, fingers spread out behind her upon light grey Egyptian cotton sheets. Kyoko blinked a few times in an attempt to wash the haze from her gaze. After a couple of minutes she was successful, so long as she squinted a bit. Her head rotated from one side to the next taking in the atmosphere with complete awe.

The bed she lay upon was easily a queen, quite possibly even a king. The sheets were light grey with a thick, heavy black wool blanket on the very top. The frame it lay upon was ground level, walnut painted black. On each side was a small table with white touch lamps. On the opposite wall of the bed, a good eight or nine meters from her was a large matching dresser with an oval mirror. Hearing the sounds of thunder, Kyoko's head turned left to the floor to ceiling windows that made up that wall. There were no curtains at all. Her jaw fell as she saw that the middle panel was in fact a sliding door that led out to the large balcony.

Pushing the covers back, she crawled out of the bed and onto the grey plush carpeted floors. Carefully, she pushed herself into a stance and wobbled over to the window. The black paneled railing that went around the balcony was being spattered with a billion little beads of water. She reached out and gently pressed her right hand against the glass, feeling its icy touch cool her clammy skin. Lifting her head to the sky, she felt calmed by the rain, almost as if it was crying in her stead.

When her bedroom door opened, she immediately spun about waiting for the president's costumed face to peer at her. But the man that stepped in made her breath hitch. "You…" she whispered.

Seeing her standing by the window, silhouetted by the outside light, Kuon felt strange. His eyes fell on this woman, a woman whom he was supposed to have some semblance of familiarity with. But instead he felt awkward and alien around her. His eyes caught her tasseled auburn hair and the frightened look in her eyes and mentally he cursed the president for talking him into this chaos. He took a single step into the room and then leaned his back against the wall behind him. "How are you feeling?" he asked kindly.

Kyoko ran her eyes over him, her hands making their way to the thin material covering her chest. He was dressed very casually in light blue jeans and navy blue t-shirt with white socks. Her eyes rose to his and she closed her mouth. He had long blonde hair that was roughly raked back and such piercing blue eyes. Hearing more thunder, she looked over her shoulder with amazement at the lightening that played overhead. "How…" her voice cracked so she cleared her throat. "How long has it been raining like this?"

"For the past couple of hours," he answered just. Pushing off the wall, he began to slowly meander towards her.

"I see," Kyoko spoke distractedly. When she turned back around, she found him a few feet away and gasped.

"I won't hurt you," Kuon uttered before she could say anything. "I promise." He raised his hands before her. His eyes fell to her chin as she nodded and then to her shoulders as they slumped slightly, relaxing a bit. He then slipped his hands into his front pockets. His eyes caressed the features of her face as he tried to read the emotions engraved in the fine lines. After a moment of obstinate silence, he spoke. "You look pale."

Kyoko's fingers rose up to her face as she lightly padded her cheek with her fingertips. Pressing her dry lips together, she bowed her head. "I'm sorry, I don't remember your name," she replied quietly.

He smiled. "Kuon. I'm Hizuri Kuon."

Her head instantly snapped up, eyes beautifully wide with recognition. "Did you say H-Hizuri?"

Confused, Kuon nodded slowly. "Yes, why?"

"You…" As the thought filtered into her mind, she realized that she was being silly. It may have not been a common name, but surely the world couldn't be that small. Shaking her head, she offered him an apologetic smile. "That explains your beautiful Japanese."

Surprised and a little humbled at the unusual compliment, Kuon felt grateful for the dim natural lighting in the room. It helped to hide the subtle blush that kissed his cheeks. "Thank you," he said softly.

Kyoko took a deep breath and then turned her body to face him fully. Holding her head a bit higher, she braced herself for the questions plaguing her mind. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but… Where am I exactly?"

"You're at my apartment." He answered simply. Kuon saw her confusion, so he decided to explain to keep her calm. "Takarada-san asked me to take care of you for a little while."

The dull ache throbbed viciously all of a sudden. Scrunching her brows further, Kyoko leaned back and hissed at the cold contact with the glass. After adjusting to the feeling, she sighed. "Okay… But, why would he send me home with a stranger? I mean, a stranger for me that is."

Kuon turned from her and walked over to the bed. He knelt and then sat back comfortably. "He knew that you didn't want to go home and he also assumed that you wouldn't want to inconvenience your friends, that's why he chose me. Besides, he figured you'd want some time alone without anyone bombarding you with questions. No one knows how to get here other than Takarada-san. You'll have complete privacy to…" Realizing that he didn't know what to call it, he froze. Was there even a word for it?

"To do whatever it takes to get back to normal," Kyoko finished sadly. She dropped her eyes and stared at the floor as the burdens from the previous night threatened to overwhelm her again.

As he watched her face, he read her expressions and emotions like an open children's book. Large, bold font strolled across her face letting him see far more of her then she probably wanted him to. Heaving himself into a stance, he made his way over to her. "I know that I'm a stranger to you and you're probably feeling very awkward around me. I want you to know that you don't need to hold any pretenses in my presence. I'm just a normal guy visiting an old friend. Don't feel that you owe me any facades of hospitality. You're in my apartment so if anyone's going to play the part of polite host, it'll be me." He smiled tenderly to her and then turned away, heading for the door. "I'll be in the living room if you need me. Let me know if you get hungry and I'll order something." Reaching the entryway, he paused and looked over at her. "You're still injured so get some more sleep."

Kyoko watched him grab the knob. He started closing the door behind when she stepped forward and shouted to him. "Wait… Hizuri-san…"

Kuon pushed the door and looked at her with a funny expression. "No way are you ever allowed to call me that again." He saw the look in her eyes and chuckled to ease the tension. "You make me sound like my father. Please, just stick to Kuon."

Kyoko nodded. "I do have a question for you."

Stepping back into the room, he licked his lips and took a deep breath. "Sure."

"Why did you save me, from that truck?" Her feet moved forward of their own volition as her painful recollection of the accident started streaming across her vision. Before she knew it, she was only a couple paces away from him. "Why would you risk your life to save someone you don't know?"

He could the pressure of her eyes sinking into him. The desire for death was mirrored in those honey orbs like a smoker's desperate need for that one last cigarette. It was in this moment that the American celebrity realized that his work would be cut out for him. Deciding to take the tactic that Lory advised _against_, he took a step towards her and matched the intensity of her stare with his own. "To be perfectly honest, I didn't save you because I wanted to be a Good Samaritan. I saved you because you were surrounded in fear and loathing, and my body simply reacted to it." Kuon took the last step separating them and bore his eyes into hers. "I saved you because the agony in the air around you called out to me. And I felt you deserved to be saved." His left hand reached out and with fingertips he brushed her bangs aside, tucking them behind her ear. She looked away and he deliberately retreated.

"I won't thank you," Kyoko shouted to his back. He paused without looking at her. "I cannot thank you for what you did. In fact, I wish you hadn't done what you did. No one said that I wanted to be saved. I really wish that I hadn't been saved…"

Her voice resonated in his ears like a drum, shocking his bones with disbelief. _No… she is nothing like the Kyoko I used to know..._

* * *

**I appreciate the reviews and love hearing from you all. But I only ask that you don't insult the original story as it was written by someone I care about. I respect that you may not have liked certain aspects of Sho's Salvation, but I respect the author as well and enjoyed her work, even if they were quite OOC. Sometimes I like reading about the characters acting in ways that wouldn't realistically appear in the anime/manga. That's half the fun of fan fiction, I believe. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone as it wasn't my intention. L8R.**


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